


The Beginning Of Something Important

by HazAndNi



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-11
Updated: 2012-09-25
Packaged: 2017-11-25 10:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/637718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazAndNi/pseuds/HazAndNi





	1. Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Like Shooting Stars?

Emma sat down in the very comfortable business class window seat that her father booked for her. The flight from New York city to London would be long, so she was hoping that she wouldn’t have anyone sitting next to here since she wasn’t feeling particularly chatty. She was too nervous for that. Not only would she be starting at Oxford in a month, but it was also her first time ever on a plane.  
“Good evening, miss.” A deep British voice spoke from just above her head. Wonderful, she thought. She lifted her eyes up to see a tall, muscular, incredibly attractive boy about her age with messy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes gazing down at her. He slid into the seat next to her with a warm, polite smile on his face and offered her his hand. “My name is Liam. And you are?” he asked happily.  
“Emma. It’s nice to meet you Liam.” she said back, trying to match his sunny tone but obviously failing as she watched his bright smile falter just a bit.  
“And absolutely lovely to meet you as well.” he told her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles gently. She turned to face the window smiling, a light pink blush dusting across her cheeks. Well if she was going to get stuck with a neighbor, at least he was nice to look at and had the voice of an angel. She was about to actually strike up a conversation with him, seeing as he really had been quite polite and she was oddly intrigued by him, but was inturuppted by the flight attendant, who began explaining safety precautions and instructions over the loud speaker, which was immediately followed but the captain asking them to prepare for takeoff. Emma’s body tensed and she hoped that no one would notice the panicked expression in her eyes as they darted around the inside of the plane. No such luck.  
“Is everything alright?” Liam asked, sounding slightly concerned. She took a deep breath and gave him what she hoped was a calm smile.  
“Yeah yeah I’m fine….” she muttered but he didn’t look convinced. He didn’t have time to call her bluff though, because just then the plane started to move and her hand, out of instinct, gripped his knee tightly. She was so unaware of this action that she didn’t notice it until she felt him chuckle beside her, his fingers gently uncurling hers from around his leg and lacing them between his own.  
“Don’t be scared love. I’m right here.” he whispered as the plane began moving faster. She tightened her grip on his hand when the plane began to move upwards, wheels leaving the safety of the earth below them. Things seemed to smooth out a little bit and she began to relax, but it didn’t last long as they began to bump along roughly and she turned to Liam, fear swimming in her eyes. Liam let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his (incredibly fit) body. “This is normal Emma. It’s alright.” he said softly, holding her tightly. She tried to focus all of her attention on the feel of his arm around her and his warm breath cascading over her neck. This distraction seemed to work wonders and before she knew it, they were flying smooth and straight ahead again. She straightened up in her seat a little, but Liam kept his arm around her shoulders, not that it bothered her at all. She was starting to wonder about the strange, sweet boy sitting next to her.  
Liam was also curious about the girl under his arm. He could not, for the life of him, figure out why such a stunning girl would be flying to another country alone.  
“So, what brought you to New York?” Her musical voice floated into his ears, pulling him out of his thoughts. He pointed to the four boys around him, Louis and Harry in the two seats across the aisle and Niall and Zayn in front of ‘Larry.’  
“My band mates and I were in town for an interview.” he said quietly.  
“Oh wow that’s really cool.” she responded, but didn’t press him for any more information, and for that he was grateful. As much as he loved being in One Direction, it made talking to girls quite difficult, especially since he was FINALLY over his breakup with Danielle.  
“And how about you? What’s got you flying so far away from home?” he asked.  
“Oxford.” Once again, a light blush crept across her pale cheeks. Liam found it to be the most adorable thing he’d ever seen.  
“Beautiful and intelligent. I really hit the jackpot now haven’t I.” he told her with a laugh, causing her cheeks to turn a deeper shade of red.  
They had spent the next two hours making polite conversation before Emma fell asleep, head resting gently against the window. Liam, on the other hand, never could sleep on planes, so he say up and read a magazine. After a few hours he felt a weight on his shoulder and heard a soft whimper in his ear. He looked down to see A sleeping Emma resting her head against his shoulder. He lifted her up off of him slowly just so he could lift the armrest up and make her more comfortable, then pulled her back to him and she instinctively cuddled up into his side, her face nuzzling into his neck. She looked absolutely precious as she slept and the feeling of her lips brushing accidentally against his skin made his heart skip a beat. He had never been one to believe in love at first sight, bit she had changed his mind an he dreaded the moment when they would have to go their separate ways. Feeling her warmth against his body and her hot breath against his neck was actually starting to make him tired and after about five minutes his eyelids drooped and he dozed off holding the sleeping girl tightly.  
It wasn’t until she felt the turbulence letting them know that the plane was descending that she woke with a start, finding her face and body pressed against him. She lifted her head slowly, her sleepy eyes taking in his appearance. His head was leaned back against the seat, eyes closed tightly, mouth hanging open just slightly. He looked so much like an angel. They hit another rough patch and his head popped up, eyes shooting open as he felt her hand grip his. He peeked over her out the window and noticed the ground getting closer and closer.  
“Almost there.” he said, gently squeezing back. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and kept a firm grip on his hand as they landed. Once the plane came to a complete stop outside of their gate she lifted her head and looked up into his big brown eyes. He was grinning sweetly at her. “See. That wasn’t so bad love.” he told her happily. She smiled back at him before taking a chance and doing something she had been dreaming about the entire plane ride. She leaned in close and pressed her lips against his softly. He immediately smiled into the kiss and moved his lips in sync with hers. When they pulled away he beamed down at her.  
“Thank you, Liam. I hope someday I can repay you for this.” she said softly.  
“How about you let me take you out for breakfast?” he asked, voice dripping with a mixture of adoration and hope. She nodded and his smile grew wider. This was going to be the beginning of something important. They could both feel it.


	2. This Feels Like Fallin In Love

Liam stood outside Emma’s of hotel room, attempting to swallow the nervous lump that had been steadily rising in his throat ever since he stepped out of the front door of his flat. It had only been two hours since they had parted at the airport after programming their numbers into each others phones. Liam had spent the last two hours mulling over what to wear to their breakfast date. He had been so surprised that Emma had actually said yes to his date idea and now was hoping beyond hope that she felt the same way he did.   
He knocked on the door softly hoping he wasn’t too early. It didn’t take long for the door to open only to reveal a brightly smiling Emma, dressed in a plain white sundress that popped against her tanned skin and black Chuck Taylor’s. Her long blonde hair hung in waves down to the middle of her back and her big blue eyes lit up when she saw him. His heart was pounding in his chest at the sight of her.  
“Hi Liam.” she exclaimed with a sunny smile, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug.  
“Hello love. Are you ready to go?” he asked nervously. She pulled away and smiled up at him, nodding. She shut the door and followed him to the elevator, wanting desperately to grab his hand but too scared to make a move. Quite frankly, she had surprised herself earlier when she had mustered up the confidence to kiss him on the plane and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to do something like that again.  
As she was having these thoughts, an internal battle was raging on in Liam’s head. Should he hold her hand? Should he put his arm around her waist? Or should be maybe hold off so as not to scare her away? In the end he decided that a little hand holding had never hurt anyone and besides its not like they hadn’t done it already. So he went for it, glancing down in between them as he caught her hand in his and pressed their palms together, loving the way her thin fingers fit perfectly in between his, almost like they were made to be there.  
Emma’s heart leapt into her throat as his hand gripped hers firmly and a spark ran through her entire body. It was a feeling she’d never felt before and she couldn’t help but think that maybe she was falling in love with this beautiful boy who calmed her nerves.   
They made their way to a quiet cafe and took a seat at a small table outside, ordering tea and muffins. Once again they made polite conversation, but it was simple, like they had known each other for years. Emma learned about Liam’s close relationship with his two sisters and how he still calls his parents Mummy and Daddy. Liam learned that Emma was an only child and how her mother had died when she was eight. They talked about school and the band. They even talked about their favorite music and movies.  
“Toy Story! Really Liam! That’s just so…….. Cute.” she told him with a laugh, placing her hand on his knee and squeezing gently. Liam’s cheeks burned as she teased him and she thought it made him look adorable.  
“I know I know, it’s incredibly dorky. I just can’t help it. I’ve loved the movies since I was a child.” he mumbled. She gave his knee another squeeze and scooted her chair closer to his, pecking him lightly on the cheek.  
“Really Liam, it’s adorable.” she whispered in his ear. And just like that he couldn’t hold back anymore. He turned his face just so and his lips caught hers in a sweet kiss. Liam’s hands came up to cup her face, pulling it closer so as to deepen the kiss. It felt like her lips were created by the Gods, specially made to fit perfectly against his. Like she was made to fit him. He had to tell her, to let her know how he felt about her.  
“Emma there’s something I have to say.” he blurted out as he pulled away from the kiss. She eyed him curiously, almost looking nervous. Everything seemed to be going so well she couldn’t possibly imagine what could be so important. Was it something she did? As if reading her mind, he kissed reassuringly. “Please, love, don’t look at me like that. there’s just something that I need you to know. This is hard for me to say, I mean this has never happened to me before. But I can’t keep it inside anymore. Every time I look at you I just feel…… Emma I……” he sighed, trying desperately to find the right words to say to make her understand. She noticed the confusion in his eyes and reached her hands up, resting them gently in top of his which were still placed gently on her cheeks. The feel of her skin against his was like a shot of confidence. “I’m falling in love with you. I know we’ve only known each other for a little less than half a day and it’s so soon. I know that. I know that this is crazy but I needed you to know how I feel. The minute I saw you on that plane I knew you were the one Emma.” He was much calmer than he thought he would be as he spoke and surprisingly his body had remained completely still. She didn’t say anything, just stared into his eyes intensely before finally crashing her lips on his passionately, her fingers going up to curl in his silky brown hair. He dropped his own hands from her face, snaking them around her waist and pulling her as close to him as possible. She pulled back after a few minutes, resting her forehead against his own, keeping her eyes shut tightly as she finally spoke the words he wanted to hear.  
“I’m in love with you too Liam.”


	3. I Think I Wanna Marry You

Sunlight streaming through the window. That was the first thing Emma noticed as she slowly opened her sleepy eyes the next morning. She shut them quickly at the blinding light and cuddled back into the warmth of the couch. Wait? She thought. Couch? She opened her eyes again and that was when she Saw him. Liam. He was laying in between her and the back of the couch, wearing only his jeans, arms wrapped protectively around her slim body. His mouth hung open emitting soft snores, exactly as it was when she woke up to him sleeping on the plane. How did she get so lucky?   
The memories quickly rushed back to her. Confessing their love for each other. Spending the day together. Watching movies at his flat until they both fell asleep. She honestly didn’t think life could be anymore perfect. She didn’t think he could be anymore perfect. She removed herself from his grip and he groaned, shifting himself so that was laying on his stomach his right arm coming up to support his head.  
After making herself some coffee in his spotless kitchen, she made her way back into the living room and seated herself in the cushy chair that sat facing the couch. Her eyes raked over his tan body, from his adorable, puppy dog face, down his bare, muscular back, to his jean clad, but still very attractive butt. She was so absorbed in checking him out that she didn’t notice his eyes open or the cheeky smile that had settled itself on his face. He cleared his throat to catch her attention and watched as that pink shade he adored covered her cheeks.  
“Good morning.” he said to her, his deep voice, husky with sleep, sending a shiver down her spine.  
“Good morning.” she said back with a content smile, wondering how it was possible to love a man you had just met this much. Her dreams that night had been touched by Liam and even in that moment, staring into his deep brown eyes, all she could think about was their wedding day.  
Similar thoughts were running through Liam’s mind. What would it be like to look into her eyes and hear her say “I do?” How would it feel to see the glow on her cheeks as she told him she was pregnant with his child. What would she look like sleeping in his arms every single night for the rest of their lives. He wanted to run away with her and never look back. He’d never felt this way about a girl before, not even Danielle and they had been together for years. His feelings for Emma were so strong, in fact, that already he was considering moving closer to Oxford so that they could live together while she attended school.   
Emma finished her coffee and set the empty mug on the coffee table, gazing down at Liam with a mischievous glint in her clear blue eyes.  
“What?” he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at her. She didn’t answer, just lifted herself off of the chair and threw herself down on top of him, stretching her body out over his and pressing kisses all over the back of his neck and shoulders. He laughed and flipped himself over underneath her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her softly. He head came to rest on his chest and he breathed in the lemony scent of her hair.  
“Liam? Are you home mate?” they heard a light, Doncaster voice call out from his front door.   
“I’m in here, Lou.” Liam called out to his friend, not bothering to move. He never wanted to leave this position. Emma watched from her spot snuggled into Liam’s chest as the four boys he had pointed out in the plane made their way into his living room, matching confused expressions on all of their faces. She shut her eyes and buried her face in his chest, embarrassed at the thought of meeting Liam’s closest friends with messy hair and sleepy eyes.   
Liam sat up, shifting her so that she was sitting in his lap, and beamed up at his best mates.  
“Lads, this is Emma, the girl I met on the plane ride home.” he told them happily. “Emma, this is Harry, Niall, Louis, and Zayn.” he pointed to each other as he said their names and Emma tried her hardest to commit their names and faces to memory. Something deep down told her that she would be seeing a lot of them. After a chorus of “how do you do’s” and “lovely to meet you’s” Liam politely asked the boys to please leave so that he and Emma could be alone. “Do you have plans today, love?” he asked hopefully. She smiled up at him.   
“Do I?” she asked back with a wink. Liam’s face broke into the biggest grin she had ever seen. He scooped her up into his arms causing her to giggle, and carried her off down the hall and into his bedroom.  
“Liam!” she squealed as he tossed her down onto his large comfy bed. He launched himself on top oh her and covered her face and neck with kisses, before pulling her against his body and wrapping his arms tightly around her. She nuzzled her face in his neck and sighed contently.  
“Emma.” he whispered softly. His body was wracked with nerves. He had made a split second decision to ask her the question that had been on his mind all morning, but he knew it would be the hardest thing he would ever have to do. But things like this don’t happen everyday and he wasn’t going to risk letting her slip away from him.  
“Yeah Liam?” she said back, lips brushing softly against his hot skin. He lifted her chin up to stare into her big blue eyes and never let his gaze falter as he spoke.  
“I know things have moved so fast between us and I know that maybe we should slow down, but I just, I can’t imagine a life where I don’t love you. You were made for me, I just know it. I feel like you fit into my life so perfectly. Everything about you just fits. I want you in my life forever.” Emma’s breath caught in her throat.  
“What are you saying Liam?” she choked out. He took a deep breath and smiled as he watched tears welling up in her eyes and threatening to spill over any second.   
“Marry me Emma. It’s soon, I know that, but I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.” he breathed. Just like that, the floodgates opened and the tears raced down her pink cheeks. He was right, it was so fast. But she felt the same and she was just as sure as he was. So she nodded, not trusting her voice. His eyes filled with tears as well and he didn’t even bother to try and hold them back. He had her. He had the love of his life and she was promising to be his forever. Life could not be any sweeter.


	4. Meet The Payne's

Liam wasted no time taking Emma to meet his family. In fact, they arrived in Wolverhampton two days after he asked her to marry him. Maybe it was a little fast, but fast was what got them to this point and he didn’t intend on slowing down any time soon. He had assured her that his parents would adore her, but she wasn’t convinced. If she were his mother, she’d be skeptical. Especially considering the fact that he was in a world famous boy band.   
“Emma, there’s no need to be worried. They will absolutely love you, and even if they don’t, it won’t change the way I feel about you.” he told her as they pulled up to his childhood home. He Jumped out of the car, racing to her side and opening the door for her. She giggled, he was so sweet and she was constantly wondering how she managed to snag such a gentleman. As he shut the car door behind her he snatched up her hand, lacing their fingers together and planting a loving kiss to her temple. “I love you, Emma.” he whispered into her ear. She smiled up at him sweetly.  
“I love you too Liam.” she whispered back. She took a deep breath as she watched him turn the knob on the door and followed him inside. The house was beautiful and warm. Very friendly, just like Liam.   
“Mum!” Liam called out. It didn’t take long for a blonde woman to make her way from what Emma assumed was the kitchen into the hall where they stood. Emma quickly smoothed out the bottom of her white sundress (an article of clothing that, much to Liam’s delight, she seemed to have an abundance of).  
“Hello sweety.” Mrs. Payne exclaimed as she hugged her only son.  
“Hi mum.” Liam greeted her happily. His mother looked at Emma curiously as Mr. Payne came to greet his son. “Mum, Dad, I’d like you to meet Emma.”  
“How lovely to meet you, sweetheart.” Mrs. Payne greeted the girl with a warm hug.  
“It’s wonderful to meet you too, Mrs. Payne.” Emma replied politely. She turned to to Liam’s father, who also offered her a hug and a warm smile, and then followed the Payne’s into another room which she soon learned was their very cozy living room. Liam held a firm grip on Emma’s hand to calm her nerves and throughout the evening he would offer her a loving smile.   
Dinner was lovely. Mrs. Payne was a wonderful cook and Mr. Payne an excellent story teller. It became apparent that Liam got his sweetness and nurturing side from his mother and his charm and playfulness from his father. Emma couldn’t help but absolutely adore his parents and she quite hoped that when Liam told them that he had asked her to marry him, they would be happy about it.   
Liam was thrilled that his parents seemed to get on so well with Emma. He had been concerned, his mother had a tendency to be overly protective and his father had always loved Danielle, but they had really taken to Emma quite quickly and it had surprised him. So when Emma excused herself to use the bathroom, Liam decided to finally drop the bomb on them.  
“She’s absolutely lovely Liam. Where did you find her and why have we not heard of her before.” Mrs. Payne asked her son curiously.  
“Well mum, to be quite honest, I only met her a few days ago on the plane home from New York. And I know it’s sudden, but mummy she’s the one. I knew it the minute I saw her. She’s just perfect and I’ve asked her to marry me.” he told his mother honestly. Mrs. Payne looked slightly taken aback and Liam knew why. He had never been one to do anything so impulsive. He was a planner by nature.  
“Liam, baby, are you sure? You’ve only know her for four days. Are you sure that she’s not just using you?” his mother asked, her tone concerned.  
“I’ve never been so sure. Mum I don’t know how to explain it, I just…. I can’t picture myself without her. She completes me. I’m aware that that sounds absolutely ridiculous but it’s the truth. I’m hopelessly in love with her, mummy. I really am. And I’ve never felt this way before. And besides, she had no idea who I was when we met. She met the boys the other morning and forgot all of their names two hours later.” Mrs. Payne could clearly see the love and adoration shining in his eyes as he spoke about Emma and that’s what convinced her.  
“Oh sweetie that’s wonderful. If you’re sure, you know what I trust your judgement and I’ve never seen you this in love before, not even with Danielle. She really is quite wonderful. And beautiful too. You make quite the attractive pair.” she told him happily.  
“Dad, you’ve been quite silent throughout all of this.” Liam pointed out to his father. He had been anxious to hear his fathers opinion in her.  
“Well, Li, I think that she’s just wonderful. She seems to be a perfect match for you, if I’m being honest. And the way that you two look at each other, it’s very intense. I’m proud of you.” Mr. Payne told him with a smile.  
“When I’m with her I feel like we’re the only two people in the world. I honestly can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her dad.”  
Emma stood in the hall, listening to their conversation. Sure, she felt guilty eavesdropping, but she really couldn’t help it. It sent chills down her spine hearing Liam talk about her that way and she, for the millionth time, thanked whatever god there was that she was the lucky woman that got to love Liam Payne. As she made her way back into the living room, Liam’s mother stood up announcing that she needed to do the dishes.  
“Oh, please let me help you. It’s the least I can do.” Emma insisted. Liam beamed at her. He knew she had his mother now. She followed Mrs. Payne into the kitchen and they set to work scrubbing and then drying the dishes. They worked in silence for a few minutes before Emma finally set the plate she was drying down and turned to her future mother in law seriously. “I just want you to know, that I am truly in love with Liam. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. And I know that this is crazy, and I know that you’re concerned, but I can promise you, Mrs. Payne, that I will NEVER break his heart.” she said seriously. Mrs. Payne turned to her, her eyes shining with tears.  
“I trust you Emma. I really do. Just take good care of my baby.” she said, pulling the girl into a tight hug. “And please, call me Karen. We’re family now.”  
Three and a half hours later, pulled the car into his parking spot outside of the building his flat was in. He looked over only to find Emma sound asleep in the passenger seat. It was a good thing that he had insisted on getting her stuff from her hotel the day before because he knew that, after the nerve wracking night she had just had, she just wouldn’t have been able to go back to the hotel to change. It had taken some convincing and had almost led to an argument, but after four hours he had finally managed to get her to agree to check out and move in. She hadn’t wanted to impose but once he hit her with the infamous Liam Pouty Face she had no choice but to say yes. He smiled at the memory as he shut the car off and got out, walking around to her side and opening the door gently. He lifted her carefully out of the car and carried her all the way up to his flat. It was a little difficult to unlock the door but he managed and he pushed it open with his foot to find his band mates standing in his living room, party hats on their heads and a huge congratulations banner hanging from the ceiling. They began to scream and shout but he shushed them quickly. Gesturing to the sleeping girl in his arms.  
“Awwwww.” Niall cooed as Liam carried her off into the bedroom and tucked her in with a kiss on the forehead and a soft I love you, before joining the lads back in the living room.  
“How did you find out? I only just told my mum and dad a few hours ago.” he asked the boys.   
“Well my mum called your mom to ask about your birthday and Karen spilled the beans. My mom texted me as soon as they were off the phone to scold me for not telling her.” Niall told him.   
“I’m sorry for not telling you lads, it’s just all happened so fast you know. And I wanted to tell my parents before I told any of you, especially Lou since he can’t keep a secret from his mother to save his life.” Liam said, shooting Louis a smirk. Louis blushed profusely but knew that it was true. The boys talked for a while before they all began yawning and decided it was time to go home. Liam caught Niall’s arm before he could head out and quickly shut the door to the flat behind the other boys. “Ni, I have to ask you something.” he told his best friend nervously.  
“Anything Li.”  
“Will you be my best man?” Liam wasn’t quite sure, but he thought he saw tears in the blonde boys eyes.  
“Of course Mate. I’d be honored, you know that.” Niall answered, choking back a sob and confirming Liam’s suspicions. They hugged each other tightly, Liam had always had a special bond with Niall and he couldn’t imagine asking anyone else.   
“Thanks Ni.” he whispered happily before letting Niall leave and locking the door behind him. He turned around and leaned back against the cool wooden door, shutting his eyes and replaying the days events in his head with a smile.  
“Li? Where are you?” he heard Her sweet voice call out from the bedroom. His eyes opened slowly to see her, standing in the doorframe wearing only his Batman shirt. Her long blonde hair was slightly messy from sleep and her eyes were only half opened. She looked like an angel sent down from heaven to save him. He made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her forehead.  
“Let’s go to bed baby.” he breathed and led her back into the bedroom, laying down beside her. She cuddled into his side, her head resting gently on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her slim body, breathing in the scent of her and instantly falling asleep.


	5. The Case Of The Ex

Neither of them were exactly surprised when it happened. Their first fight. It came three days after she met his parents. The day had started off well enough. Liam woke up with Emma clutched tightly in his arms, the sight of her causing a smile to immediately spread across his face. He wished he could have stayed in bed with her longer but he just had too much energy. Songs slid out of bed quietly and grabbed his phone so that he could make a few calls. That was when he saw the text from Danielle. They had broken up months ago on good terms but hadn’t talked much since and she had texted asking if they could meet for coffee to catch up. In retrospect, he should have known it would only lead to trouble, but being Liam, he just assumed that it was all innocent because he could only ever see the good in people.  
And so it was that, 30 minutes later he walked into the Starbucks down the street to find his ex girlfriend sitting at a small table in the back.  
“Liam! I’m so glad you came. I’ve missed you terribly. It’s so wonderful to see you.” she exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and pulling him into a tight bug.  
“Hello, Danielle. I assume you’ve been well?” Liam asked her politely.  
“Yeah yeah, sure. Let’s not talk about me though, Li. I spoke with Ruth yesterday. She told me you’ve met someone and are getting married. But I told her you couldn’t possibly because we’ve barely been broken up for two months.” she explained.  
“Actually, she’s right. I have met someone. Her name’s Emma. I met her a few days ago on the way home from New York and we just…. I don’t know we just fell in love. She’s quite lovely.” he told her. The look in his eyes told her everything she didn’t want to know and it broke her heart. She had been dating, but hadn’t really been able to get him out of her head and the idea of her Liam with another woman all but killed her.  
“Liam, I thought we would end up together. I mean I know we broke up but I thought you understood that I just needed a little space and the. I would come back.” she said, forced tears filling her eyes. If there was one thing she knew about Liam, it was that he couldn’t resist a crying girl. If she played her cards right, he would comfort her with a kiss and the promise of leaving this Emma girl to be with her again and then she would have everything she wanted.  
“Danielle you told me it was over so I got over it. I’m not in love with you anymore. Emma is my whole world now. She’s special to me.” he said coldly.  
“Oh stop Liam you’ve known this girl for what, less than a week! She’s clearly a rebound. You’re mine Liam. You’ve always been mine.” Danielle snapped. Liam stood up from his chair quickly, furious at the girl in front of him.  
“I’m not yours Danielle. Not anymore. I belong to Emma now and she belongs to me and nothing is ever going to change that. This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have agreed to this. I have to get back to her. It was good seeing you, it really was. You look lovely and you’ll find someone I promise, but I would really appreciate it of you wouldn’t try to contact me again. I’m getting married to the love of my life in a few months and I think it’s best if the past stays in the past.” he told her before turning on his heal and stomping out the door, ignoring her pleas for him to stay. He walked home seething with anger. How dare she. He would never be so selfish If the situation were reversed and he had honestly thought she was better than that. But it didn’t matter, because he could now go home and cuddle in bed with his beautiful fiancé and forget all about the whole thing. Or so he thought.   
Little did he know, he had left his phone sitting on the kitchen counter and just as Emma walked in to pour herself a cup of coffee she happened upon it. She would never in her life think of snooping through it. No she trusted Liam way too much. But when the screen lit up with a new text message right as she walked by it, it caught her eye and she couldn’t help but glance at it. “From: Danielle- I’m so excited to see you. I miss you.” That was a bit ago, most likely right after Liam had left and her heart broke in two immediately. Truth be told, she knew about Danielle, but only because she had googled Liam quickly between the time she had gotten to the hotel and the time he picked her up for their breakfast date. SHe knew they had been together for a few years and had seen enough pictures of the other girl to know that she was stunning. It made her wonder what in gods name Liam saw in her. She was sitting on the couch, silent tears rolling down her cheeks when she heard the lock click and the door open.  
“Hey sleeping beauty. I’m sorry I should have left you a note but I……. Em, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” his heart squeezed at the sight of the tear tracks lining her pink cheeks. She held up his phone but refused to look at him. He took it and read the text.  
“Oh, Emma no its not what you think….” he started but she held up her hand.  
“Save it Liam. Please just don’t. I should have known. This was way to fast to be real. I just…… I thought you were different.” she snapped.  
“No Emma you don’t understand. If you’d just let me explain……”   
“Explain what Liam! Explain how you proposed to me and then willingly went to have coffee with your dancer ex girlfriend? How you told me you were in love with me and then went running to her the second she asked you to see her! How the hell do you explain that? You’re still in love with her!” she yelled sadly. Liam shook his head violently. Why couldn’t she just understand?  
“How could you even think that! You know how I feel about you! I’ve made it perfectly clear! Just let me explain what happened and you’ll see……”  
“No Liam. This was a mistake. I knew this was too good to be true. I’m sorry I just, I can’t anymore.” she sobbed, running off into the bedroom and shutting the door. Her heart was shattered. She really truly thought that he meant it when he said he was in love with her.  
Liam sat against the bedroom door listening to her cry her poor little heart out. It brought tears to his own eyes. He couldn’t stand it. It hurt to much to think that he had made her feel any pain. He stood up and pushed the door open, running to her and scooping her up in his arms. He sat down on the bed with her in his lap and kissed her forehead.  
“I’m so sorry Emma. I’m so so sorry. I didn’t think. I shouldn’t have seen her. But please don’t ever think that I don’t love you because I do. And I don’t have any feelings for her. I knew t before I even saw her. I’ve known that since before I met you. But I have to be honest with you, Em, because I don’t know if anyone saw us, but she did try. She did tell me she wanted me back by I left as soon as she started because all I could think about was being home with you.” he explained to her.  
“What did you tell her?” she asked as her sobbing subsided.  
“She said that I was hers and I told her she was wrong. That I belonged to you and that’s the way it always would be. And then I left and came straight home.” he said, smiling down at her. She returned his smile and kissed him softly.  
“I’m sorry Li. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. I should have let you explain. I was just scared. She’s so beautiful and things have moved so fast with us I thought you were having second thoughts and…….” Liam cut her off quickly.  
“I told you I was sure and I meant it. Don’t ever lose faith in me Emma. Never. because you’re stuck with me now.” he told her. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the little blue box he had picked up on his way home. He hadn’t intended on buying it. He had been waiting until they could go together because he wanted to be her the ring that she wanted. But just like when he saw her for the first time, the second he walked past the Tiffany’s on Oxford St and saw the beautiful, simple diamond ring in the window, he just knew it was perfect. Her eyes lit up as he pulled it out and placed it on her finger.  
“Oh Liam!” she cooed, tears once again welling up in her eyes. She buried her face in his chest and breathed him in, completely content with life.  
“I love you Emma. So so much. I can’t wait to spend our lives together.”


	6. She Wears A White Dress

Emma felt awful for the rest of Liam’s band mates. She didn’t ask Liam to have them come wedding dress shopping with her but he had insisted that they would be fine with it since she didn’t have any friends in London. So there they sat in the dress shop while Emma tried on ugly gown after ugly gown.  
“Ugh! This is so frustrating! Everything is so fluffy and girly and frilly! I just want something simple.” she groaned as she walked out of the dressing room in a hideous mermaid style dress that showed way too much boob.  
“I think the neckline on that one is perfect.” Harry muttered. She laughed out loud as Niall and Louis both smacked him as hard as they could. She plopped down in the nearest chair, completely frustrated by her complete lack of success.  
“Emma, can I make a suggestion?” Niall asked nervously. Emma nodded, thankful for any bit of help. Niall stood up and walked over to a rack close by pulling a dress off and handing it to her. “Just trust me, alright?” she nodded again and made her way back into the dressing room, slipping into the dress carefully. She had a feeling, one she couldn’t quite explain, so she avoided the mirror as she opened the door and walked back out to face the four bored boys. As soon as they saw her their jaws instantly dropped.   
“What?” she asked nervously? “Is it awful?” Niall smiled up at her, shaking his head and that was when she noticed that every single one of them had tears in their eyes.  
“Emma you look…….” Louis started.  
“…….breathtaking.” Harry finished. Emma bit her lip nervously as she turned to face the three-way mirror. The boys all stood up and walked towards her, wanting to see her reaction as she saw herself in the dress. She had to admit, even seeing herself in the dress took her breath away. It was stunning. A corset top with a skirt that came all the way down to the floor. No intricate patterns or frilly fancy flower designs. No mile long train. It was simple. Just like them.  
“This is it.” she whispered and all the boys nodded in awe.


	7. I Hope You're Ready For It

After two months of the planning it was finally here. The day when Emma would become Mrs. Liam Payne. They hadn’t seen each other in three days, which; considering they had spent every single day together since they met, was challenging for both of them. Emma had cried every single night, the only comfort she had was that she was staying in his childhood bedroom in Wolverhampton. The sheets smelled oh him and she cuddled the pillow on his old bed to help her fall asleep. Liam had just as rough a time because everything in their flat had Emma written all over it, from her school bag sitting in its usual spot by the door, his Batman shirt, which smelled faintly of her perfume and shampoo from all of the nights she had worn it to sleep. He had tried to make her take it with her but she refused, telling him that she wanted him to wear it to bed every night so that he could fall asleep thinking of her. He had laughed off this notion, assuring her that he didn’t need a tshirt remind him of her, but kept it anyways because it comforted him.   
“Liam, mate, im going to go see her now. Is there anything you’d like me to tell her?” Niall asked him. Liam smiled. He’d been waiting for that question. He’d been thinking about it for three days. The one message he wanted delivered before she walked down the aisle. He turned around to face Niall and told him word for word what had been in his head.  
Just as Niall left, Emma’s father walked in. Liam had only met him twice but he had always gotten the distinct impression that John Jordan was not his biggest fan.   
“Liam I’d like to have a quick word with you if that’s possible.”   
“Of course, sir.” Liam said with a nervous gulp. John sighed, as I’d trying to find the right words to say.  
“Liam, I get the feeling you think that I don’t like you.” it wasn’t a question, but Liam answered it anyways.  
“Well, sir, if I’m being quite honest, you’re right. But I understand why. I know how close you are to your daughter and you must think I’m mental for rushing into this.” he said. The older man laughed, but it wasn’t spiteful or bitter like Liam had expected. It was caring and happy.  
“You’re quite wrong, Liam. I admit I was skeptical at first, when Emma called me after she made it to her hotel that day and told me she had met you on the trip over and she thought you were the one…”  
“She said that?” Emma had never told him that. It melted his heart to hear that she knew like that.   
“She did. She said ‘Daddy I met him. I met the love of my life.’ I was definitely concerned. Even more when I found out who you were. I expected you to be a conceited play boy, using my little girl for sport. But I was wrong about you Liam. I’ve never seen anyone look at a woman the way that you look at Emma. Like she’s the only person in the room.” Liam chuckled softly at his words.  
“My father told me that very thing the first time he ever met her.” he confessed. John joined in on his laughter for just a moment, before placing a firm hand on Liam’s shoulder and looking him square in the eyes.  
“I just want you to know that I’m proud to be able to call you my son-in-law. You’re a wonderful man and you make my baby happier than I’ve ever seen her. Just promise me you’ll never hurt her. She’s my little girl, Liam. She’s all I have left in this world and I will not accept you treating her as anything less than a princess.” he said seriously.  
“I wouldn’t ever dream of hurting her. She’s my angel, John. She really is.” Liam told him, choking back tears. God, he couldn’t wait to see her. All this talk about how special she was made him that much more anxious to get this whole thing over with.  
“Nervous?” John asked with a smile. Liam shook his head.  
“I just want to skip to the part where i can be hers forever.” he said honestly. John pulled him into a tight hug, so happy to know that his baby girl had found a good man.  
On the other side of the venue, Niall was knocking on the door to the bridal suite. Emma’s maid of honor opened the door and looked at him curiously.  
“Could I have a quick word with the bride? In private?” he asked. He didn’t feel that the words he was meant to say to her should fall upon anyone else’s ears. Even he felt like he was intruding just by knowing them.  
Emma stood in front of him, the white dress he had picked out for her fitting her slim frame perfectly, her long blonde hair hanging in soft waves around her shoulders, barely a stitch of makeup on her face. “You love beautiful, Emma.” he told her, tears filling his eyes as he hugged her gently. They had gotten incredibly close In the last two months, and he had grown to love her as the sister he had never had.  
“Oh God Nialler please don’t cry!” she scolded him gently, choking back her own tears.  
“I’m sorry. I have a message for you. But I’m not quite sure if I’m going to be able to make it through the whole thing without tearing up, so I sincerely hope you’re makeup is waterproof.” he said with a chuckle. She sniffles as she laughed along with him. He sighed before delivering Liam’s words to her. “I’ve been asked to tell you That Liam loves you with his whole heart and he cannot wait look into your perfect eyes and say I do.” he reached up to wipe a few fallen tears from her eyes, as she beamed at him before tackling him in an hug that could rival one of his own signature “Horan Hugs.”  
“Tell him I love him Niall. I can’t say anymore than that, because quite honestly, I don’t want to ruin my vows. They took me forever to write by the way. Probably the only part of our relationship that did move at the speed of light.” he chuckled at that last part.  
“I will Em. I have to go, I’ll see you out there, Mrs. Payne.” he said with a wink, and slipped out the door.  
“Mrs. Payne. God I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” she whispered to herself as she followed him out the door. Her father walked over to her, holding out his arm for her to take.  
“You ready Ems?” he asked. She smiled up at him happily.  
“I’ve been ready since the day I met him, daddy.” she whispered softly.


	8. Gravity

The wedding was perfect. Neither one of them could have asked for anything more. It was small, just their families, the boys and a few friends. Emma had never really been a social butterfly back home and the few friends she had were all at university so she didnt really expect them to be able to make it anyways. Her best friend Lacey was there, however, and that was all that really mattered. Other than that, her side consisted of Eleanor and Perrie, whom she had become extremely close with, and Liam’s two sisters, Ruth and Nicola.  
The ceremony was simple, just like everything in their lives and when the officiant pronounced them man and wife, both of them had tears in their eyes. Liam had never seen a more beautiful woman in his entire life and Emma thought that he looked just adorable in his black bow tie. They shared their first dance to Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran, who happily agreed to sing it personally, seeing as he and Liam were good friends and he was already going to be there anyways.  
It was half way through he reception, after they had been announced and had eaten, that the gravity of everything had caught up with her. She was Mrs. Payne now, officially. Everything had happened so fast and she just couldn’t believe it. She looked around the reception hall with tears in her eyes as she watched everyone that she and Liam loved have the time of their lives. Niall caught her eye and made his way over to her.  
“Is everything alright Em?” he asked concerned. She nodded with a smile.  
“Yeah I’m just….. Taking it all in I guess. I can’t believe this is really happening.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed contently. “Nialler, can you do me a favor? Can you and the boys keep everyone distracted for a few minutes? I kind of just need a minute to myself to process everything, ya know?” she asked him.  
“Absolutely. Shouldn’t be too hard to do that.” he agreed. “What about Liam?”  
“I’m not quite sure where he went, actually.” she told him with a laugh.  
“I say his mum and sisters leading him off somewhere. Probably to talk babies or something.” Niall chuckled. She rolled her eyes at him before thanking him and slipping out the door and down the hall. There was a balcony somewhere around and she thought that might be the perfect place to have a quite moment, if only she could find the door that lead to it. She didn’t get very far when a hand reached out and pulled her body through a door to her left, a warm body pressing up against her back.  
“Shouldn’t you be attending to your guests Mrs. Payne.” that familiar, deep, husky voice whispered in her ear. She smiled softly, leaning back into him as he nipped at her earlobe.  
“I should be asking you the same thing, Mr. Payne.” she whispered back. His body shook with laughter and he spun her around quickly, pressing his lips to hers in a rough, passionate kiss. Her fingers laced through the soft hair at the nape of his neck as one of his hands rested on the small of her back, the other coming up between her shoulder blades, pressing her body firmly against his. She felt his tongue trace her bottom lip and she parted her lips immediately to let him in, their tongues dancing together perfectly. They pulled away breathlessly after a minute but he continued to hold her close, never wanting to let her go.  
“I’ve been waiting to kiss you like that since the minute I saw you walking down the aisle.” he told her softly. She rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her face into his neck as her hands came down to rest against his chest. “Are you happy?” he asked her, swaying their bodies back and forth slowly. She laughed softly.  
“You should know the answer to the question already.” she said matter of factly. She pecked his lips gently, then turned around in his arms so that her back was pressed against his chest again, in order to see where they were. The balcony. How was it that Liam always managed to make every moment so ridiculously perfect?  
“What are you thinking?” he asked, burying his face in her hair.  
“I don’t think I should answer that considering we still have guests and it would be awfully rude of us to abandon them so early in the night.” she replied in a cheeky tone. He spun her back around, raising an eyebrow at her. He was sure they were thinking the same thing. How he wanted nothing more than to take her up to their hotel suite and make love to her for the first time. He had been thinking about it for weeks, actually. Ever since she had told him that she wanted to wait. She had said she wanted it to be special and Liam, who had made it his sole mission in life to give Emma everything she could ever want, was only happy to oblige. In fact, he secretly agreed that the idea of waiting until their wedding night to share themselves with each other completely was about the most romantic thing he had ever imagined. So he had set about planning the night, intent on making it that special night she was dreaming about. It took a lot of thought and a little help from Eleanor, and he prayed that when she saw what he had done, she would be happy.  
“Emma, this is our night. We can do whatever we want and no one can stop us.” he told her. She smiled up at him sweetly.  
“I suppose. The boys are pretty drunk and I DID ask them to keep everyone busy for a bit…..” Liam wasted no time in picking her up, cradling her body in his arms, and carrying her back through the door and over to the nearest lift.  
“I’m not quite sure the lads are prepared to distract everyone for as long as this would take, but i’m willing to take the risk.” he said with a cheeky smile as he pushed the button for their floor. He kissed her while they made their way up to the 10th floor and then carried her quickly to the door to the room Louis and Harry had booked them as a wedding gift. He slipped the key in the door and then turned the knob, looking into her eyes before he pushed the door open all the way. “Are you ready, love?” he asked quietly? She nodded and with that, he opened the door and carried her inside.


	9. You’re my survival

It was perfect. From the candles laid out all over the room, to the rose petals scattered all over the bed and floor. There was a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket next to the bed and the room smelled of lavender and lemon. She couldn’t possibly imagine anything more beautiful. But then she turned to Liam and saw the look in his eyes and she was proven wrong. No one had ever looked at her the way Liam did. Like she was the most important girl in the world. Like no one else existed. He took a slow step towards her and pulled her body into his, kissing her with all the love and passion he had inside of him.  
“I love you Emma.” he whispered against her lips. His hands moved up to her zipper and he slid it down slowly, taking a shaky breath as her perfect white wedding dress fell to the floor, bunching up around her feet. His eyes roamed her slender body, standing in front of him in her red strapless bra and matching lacy panties, memorizing every single curve. It amazed him how perfect she was. She reached up and took off his bow tie before unbuttoning his shirt, pressing her lips to his fiercely as she slid it off of his shoulders.  
“I love you too Liam.” she told him. Her fingers danced against his warm tan skin, feeling every muscle in his back and shoulders. Just her touch sent a shiver down his spine. She let her hands fall to his trousers and she pulled them off, leaving him standing there only in his boxers. “Liam I have to tell you something.” He looked down at her curiously. This was hardly the time for confessions.  
“What?” He knew his voice was shaky. He was nervous. What on earth could she possibly need to tell him right now?  
“I’ve…. um…. I’ve never done this before. I’m a virgin. I’m not really sure what I’m doing here.” she whispered, embarrassed. He let out a soft sigh of relief and chuckled, tightening his hold on her, pressing her as close to him as possible.  
“Em, don’t worry. We’ll take it slow.” he breathed, his hands trailing down to the backs of her thighs. He picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and carried her over to the bed, laying her down gently and hovering over her. His lips found the smooth skin of her neck and she moaned softly as he bit down, her nails scratching down his back as their bodies pressed together, until her fingers found the waistband of his boxers. She tugged lightly, sliding the material down his his thighs and let him kick it off the rest of the way himself. He reached his hands up and unhooked her bra, tossing it across the room as his soft lips trailed across her collarbone and down her chest. She felt his lips caress every single inch of her skin, leaving a fiery trail in their wake before they finally made their way back to hers, kissing her passionately as his hands removed the thin fabric that stood between them. “I love you Emma. I love you so much. I never want to live without you.” his voice sounded almost pained. He ached for her to know just how strongly he felt about this moment. He rubbed his tip against her, pressing his body against hers but not entering, teasing her.  
“Liam please….” she breathed. She needed him. Needed to feel the moment where they became one. He nodded down at her before pressing their lips together gently as he pushed himself inside her. She hissed in pain and his heart broke. This was the part he had been dreading since the second she made her confession. Liam never wanted to ever cause her any pain. He wanted her to always be happy and safe and comfortable. But he knew that there was nothing he could do in that moment to take the intense pain away except wait for her to adjust. It took every ounce of self control he possessed not to thrust into her relentlessly, she felt so perfect surrounding him. He watched her eyes, full of pain, until they grew darker, her face relaxing in pleasure. She snaked her fingers into his soft curls and tugged gently, letting him know that she was ready for him to move. He slid out slowly before looking down and watching as he buried himself inside her once again. The moans spilling from her lips fueled him to go harder, slamming into her but still being as gentle and loving as possible. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her just slightly to change the angle, receiving an appreciative moan as he hit her g spot. “Liam.” she breathed, the sound of his name on her lips sending tingles through his body and pushing him closer and closer to the edge. Her body trembled beneath him and he knew she was close, so he picked up his pace, thrusting into her as hard and as deep as he possibly could. Her walls tightened around him as her orgasm rocked through her, squeezing him in a way that he had never experienced and causing him to come completely undone above her in three sloppy thrusts.  
Liam collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her neck and sighing heavily. Emma tried desperately to catch her breath as her hands ran over the now sensitive skin of his tanned back. They laid together for a long while taking it all in, the only sounds being that of their own shallow breathing as they came down from their highs. After a few minutes, Liam rolled to the side and pulled her body onto his, wrapping his arms securely around her. He felt her body shake against him and looked down to see tears spilling down her cheeks.  
“Emma, what’s wrong! Did I hurt you? Oh baby I’m so……..” She silenced him with a soft, salty kiss on the lips and giggled slightly through the tears.  
“Nothing’s wrong Liam. Nothing at all. I’m sorry, I’m just so incredibly happy I couldn’t really keep it together any longer.” she assured him. He pressed his lips to her forehead as she snuggled up into his side, her head on his chest and her arm tossed over his toned stomach. His fingers lazily traced shapes into the soft skin of her arms and back. She couldn’t possibly imagine this moment being any more perfect than it already was until she heard his soft, deep voice cutting through he darkness of the room.  
The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful  
Stop me and steal my breath.  
And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky  
Never revealing their depth.  
Tell me that we belong together,  
Dress it up with the trappings of love.  
I’ll be captivated,  
I’ll hang from your lips,  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above.

I’ll be your crying shoulder,  
I’ll be love’s suicide  
I’ll be better when I’m older,  
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life.

And rain falls angry on the tin roof  
As we lie awake in my bed.  
You’re my survival, you’re my living proof.  
My love is alive and not dead.  
Tell me that we belong together.  
Dress it up with the trappings of love.  
I’ll be captivated,  
I’ll hang from your lips,  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

I’ll be your crying shoulder,  
I’ll be love’s suicide  
I’ll be better when I’m older,  
I’ll be the greatest fan of your…  
I’ll be your crying shoulder,  
I’ll be love’s suicide  
I’ll be better when I’m older,  
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life.

And I’ve dropped out, I’ve burned up, I’ve fought my way back from the dead.  
I’ve tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said

I’ll be your crying shoulder,  
I’ll be love’s suicide  
I’ll be better when I’m older,  
I’ll be the greatest fan of your…  
I’ll be your crying shoulder,  
I’ll be love’s suicide  
I’ll be better when I’m older,  
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life.

The greatest fan of your life.  
…greatest fan of your life.


	10. Six Months

Six months. That’s how long it would be before Emma Payne would see her husband again. She knew that having the wedding the day before he left for tour was a bad idea. The previous day had already been so emotional. But Liam had insisted on being married before he left. He didn’t want to have to wait to make her his. But now it was over and he was leaving and what of he met someone who could make him happier than she could?  
Liam scoffed at her when she voiced those concerns. The thought of taking anyone else as his own was absolutely ridiculous to him. Emma was all he could see anymore.  
He knew she was taking this hard. And in all honesty, he was too. He couldn’t imagine being away from her. Waking up alone every morning. Deprived of kisses. Unable to run his fingers through her silky blonde hair or feel the warmth of her hand clasped tightly in his. Sure he had Niall, who was always good for a cuddle when he was down, but Liam couldn’t make love to Niall.   
He had definitely entertained the thought of begging her to join him, but he knew that would be unfair to her. She had university to think about, not to mention a new job. Maybe during the summer, when she didn’t have classes and could take some time off work, but she had exams coming up and couldn’t afford to miss them. So he never asked. And he spent the entire day pretending to be strong as she helped him pack his things. Trying desperately to act like the thought of being so far away from her didn’t make his body ache. That the idea of not kissing her sweet lips didn’t make him want to lock them inside third bedroom together and never come out.  
It was while he was digging through his closet looking for a few shirts to take that he found his Batman shirt. That shirt had become more hers than his in few months they had been together. He brought the soft material to his face, rubbing it against his cheek and burying his nose in the folds. It smelled like her and only her. That was the moment his facade began to crumble. He sat on the floor, face pressed into the shirt, sobs ripping through his body. Thank god she had gone out for Starbucks because the last thing he needed was for her to see him like that. He pushed himself up off the floor, stumbling blindly over to their large comfy bed and tossed himself upon it, pulling the sheets over his body and hugging her pillow tightly. Despite the fact that he knew he needed to finish packing, he just couldn’t do it. All he wanted was to surround himself in Emma.  
He had no idea when he fell asleep or how long he had stayed like that, but a little while later he felt a gentle finger caressing his cheek and his eyes slowly opened to find her cuddled up into his chest.  
His eyes were red and puffy from crying and his cheeks were tearstained. Emma’s heart gave an unpleasant squeeze at the sight and it took everything in her not to burst into tears right there. She leaned her face in to his, their noses and lips brushing softly.  
“I love you so much, Liam.” she whispered. A small smile played I his lips before he pressed them against hers, wrapping his arms securely around his body.  
“I love you too Emma. More than you will ever understand. I don’t know how I’m going to survive without you.”


	11. The Envelope

Emma had never been so nervous in her entire life, which is ridiculous because just six months ago she was getting married to the man of her dreams and she hadn’t felt nerves of this magnitude.  
Yes, it had been six months since the wedding. Six months since she’d seen him. Nothing really had changed. Except that everything had changed. Their lives were going to be so different now.  
She waited patiently at baggage claim, thanking god that the boys had managed to fly back without anyone noticing. She couldn’t bear the thought of having to drop this bomb on Liam in front of a crowd of people. Not that she really needed to say anything. He would know the minute he touched her.  
Liam caught sigh of her right away. She was standing next to the conveyer belt absently twirling her hair. She looked beautiful despite the fact that she was wearing sweatpants, his batman shirt hanging loosely around her…. Wait? Something was different about her. Her face, completely void of any make up, which was really how he preferred it, seemed to glow more than usual. And his shirt, which usually hung loose around her, seemed to hug her just a little bit tighter around her belly. But she couldn’t be. Could she? The realization dawned on him just as her eyes met his and he dropped all of his things to the floor, taking off in a run until he reached her. He threw his arms around her, picking her up by the backs of her thighs and kissing her hard on the lips.  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was shaky and even though her face was buried in his neck, she could tell he was crying.  
“I wanted to surprise you.” she whispered against his warm skin.  
“Do you know what it is?” he asked softly. She reached into the pocket of her sweatpants and pulled out the sealed envelope she had been carrying around for a month and a half.  
“I thought we could find that out together.” Liam set her back down on the floor gently before taking the envelope with shaking hands. Suddenly the world fell away and all he could see was her and his baby. He didn’t seem to notice how Zayn had fetched his forgotten luggage or how now all of the boys were crowding around them curiously. He looked from the envelope back into her eyes before sliding a nervous finger under the flap and tearing it open, slipping the paper inside out. He pulled her close to him so that her back was pressed against his chest and unfolded the sacred paper carefully. It was full of words but Liam only saw one of them.  
“Well mate?” Niall asked nervously. “What’s it gonna be?” Liam quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled down at his beautiful wife.  
“It’s a boy.” he whispered and everyone cheered.


	12. What If's

It felt like a dream. An amazing dream. The kind you don’t want to wake up from. So when Liam did wake up the next morning he prayed to a god that he didn’t even believe in that his imagination was not working in overdrive. It wouldn’t be the first time he had had dreams about this situation.  
When he finally opened his eyes and peeked down at the sleeping girl in his arms, he couldn’t stop the grin that spread rapidly across his lips. There she was, laying on her side, back pressed against his chest, he black tank top doing little to hide the growing bump it was stretched over. She was still sound asleep and he was thankful for that. He needed a few minutes to process his thoughts. To take it all in.   
Ever since he was a boy, he had dreamed about the day when he would have a child of his own. It was something he had always wanted. It was probably the reason he acted the way he did with the lads, as a father figure. He just couldn’t control the instinct to protect, love, comfort, and spoil. So it may come as a surprise to learn that Emma was the first girl he had ever pictured having an actual family with. In fact, since the day they had met nearly 8 months ago, he had spent countless hours wondering what their child would be like. Now, knowing that his baby was so close to being there, his emotions were a little out of control.  
“Liam stop staring its rude.” he heard her soft voice mumble. He felt his face flush as she turned to lay on her back, staring up at him with tired eyes. A sleepy, lopsided grin spread across her lips at the sight of his pink cheeks and she reached her hand up to poke them gently.  
“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.  
“You’re cute.” she sighed happily. He smiled down at her before leaning in to peck her on the lips. “What time is it?” she asked.  
“9:30.” She groaned.  
“Why are you even awake?” She turned back over and buried her face in the pillow as he laughed at her.  
“I was thinking.” he told her before adding “And admiring…” as he brushed his fingers along her sides. Leaning down, he grazed his lips over her bare shoulders, pressing kisses into her warm skin every so often and causing her to giggle. She flipped back over to face him, smiling up at him brightly.  
“I love you Li.” She ran her slim fingers up and down his spine, sending shivers down it.  
“I love you too Em.” he murmured, kissing her forehead.  
“Are you scared?” she asked him after a few minutes of silence. He pulled her as close to his body as possible before answering.  
“Honestly? Yes. But only because I want to be a good father. I’m sure that I’m ready. I’m sure that WE’RE ready. And I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else. But what if I can’t change a diaper the right way? Or if he takes his first steps and I’m not here? What do I do when he falls down and skins his knees? Or when he starts liking girls? Or he’s born with kidney problems like I was? All I can think of is what if and it terrifies me. But I’m so sure that when he’s here and I hold him, when I watch you hold him, that we’re going to figure it out. And that makes me a lot less scared.” He felt her sigh into his chest, a happy, content sigh. Then she pulled back and looked into his eyes.  
“You’re going to be an amazing father, Liam. Don’t worry.”


	13. This Feeling....

“Liam! Oh my god Liam come here! Hurry!” Emma screamed from the lounge. Liam’s head shot up. It couldn’t possibly be time. They hadn’t even packed a bag or picked a name or bought a crib or….. “Li!!” She giggled again as he jumped out of the chair and ran out of the kitchen. She was sitting on the couch watching Inbetweeners, both hands placed on her belly. She beamed up at him as he entered.  
“What’s wrong?” Of course he was nervous. What if something was wrong. She reached out and pulled him down next to her, taking his hands and placing them on her belly where hers had been just before. He looked up at her curiously as she continued to smile at him lovingly, and then he felt it. It was light, that was for sure, but it was there. A small kick right under his hand. And it took his breath away. The was his baby. His little boy. He looked back up into Emma’s eyes, his own filled with tears of joy. “He can hear you when you talk you know.” She told him happily. He leaned down, pressing kisses to the bump.  
“Hey, little boy. I can’t wait to meet you. You’re going to be the most loved little baby in all the world.” Said softly, his lips brushing against her skin.  
“Liam stop that tickles.” Emma giggled. He leaned up and pecked her lips gently, pulling her into his arms.  
“I love you, both of you.” He murmured against her hair.


	14. Introducing........

After 14 hours, a long string of every curse word imaginable, two possibly broken bones in Liams hand, Niall and Harry trying to sneak into the room upon arrival and Liam passing twice (Once while attempting to cut the umbilical cord, which by the way is not a good time to pass out in front of your wife) , baby Payne had finally arrived. Liam had never felt so happy in his entire life. His heart absolutly swelled with pride and love as he sat down at on the edge of the bed next to Emma, who beamed up at him. The nurse who had just finished cleaning their newborn moved towards them and placed the baby in Liams outstretched arms. The second he pulled that tiny little body to his chest he was enamored. His baby had tiny tufts of chocolatey brown hair like he did and large blue eyes just like just like his mother. Sure, the nurse had told them that all baby’s eyes are blue when they are born, but Liam just knew that his son’s would stay that way.  
Liam sat and stared at him for a long time. He just couldn’t bear to tear his eyes away. They had made this precious, perfect human with teeny tiny fingers and itty bitty toes. They had created him with all the love and passion that they felt for each other, had waited for him for months, and now here he was, yawning and gurgling and curling his hands around Liams finger. All of the worries and doubts he had about being able to protect this child flew right out the window with one look into those sleepy eyes.  
Emma rubbed her hands along Liam’s spine, smiling up at him as he lost himself in the absolute awe that was their brand new baby. The only person that Liam had ever looked at like that was her and she wanted to take a moment to appreciate it. Watching her husband look so enamored by something they had done, something that was equal parts him and her, was the best feeling she could possibly imagine next to holding the small boy herself.  
There was a faint knock at the door after a while and both of them knew who it was. The boys had sat patiently out in the waiting room the entire time Emma was in labor and now they were itching to get their hands on their first nephew.  
“Come in!” Emma called softly, and they wasted no time, swinging the door open and piling into the small hospital room excitedly squealing.  
“Is he finally here!”   
“Can I hold him!”   
“Wake him up I want to play with him!”   
“Lads, hush!” Liam shushed them. “He’s just fallen asleep and I’m not fond of the idea of waking him.” Niall stepped forward holding out his arms.  
“Li, can I hold him? Please?” he begged his best mate. Liam happily handed him over to the blonde boy, who cradled the baby gently in his arms like the precious gift he was. The boy’s eyes opened at the movement and Niall peered down into them, immediatly losing all of his cool the second they locked eyes. “H-hi little boy.” he whispered, voice to shakey to speak out loud. “I’m your uncle Niall. I’m going to be your favorite, just you wait and see lad.” Liam half expected the other boys to protest that statment, they had been having the favorite uncle argument for weeks now, but none of them made a peep. “What’s his name, mate?” he asked, looking up at Liam expectantly. Liam and Emma both grinned at him.   
“Oliver. Oliver Niall Payne.”


End file.
